As far as NFL betting underdogs go, the Jets have been an online betting player’s dream this year, picking up a pair of wins on the road. But this week, they face an Indianapolis team that has probably wanted to play them since the Jets gave the Colts their first loss of the year in Week 16.
Jets vs Colts betting – Sunday, January 24, 3:00 PM ET
Depending on who you talk to, the Jets beat San Diego 17-14 on the road, or the Chargers handed the game to New York. Either way, the Jets don’t care how it turned out, they’re in the AFC championship game by forcing a pair of turnovers, and running for 169 yards, led by Shonn Greene’s 123 yards, which included a gamebreaking 53-yarder in the fourth quarter. The Jets also needed Pro Bowl kicker Nate Kaeding to miss three field goals, although there was a 57-yarder at the end of the half that he wasn’t expected to make. Mark Sanchez went 12-of-23 for 100 yards and a pick, but he did throw a touchdown early in the fourth to give the Jets a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Colts forced four Baltimore turnovers in a dominating 20-3 win at home, and the week off looked like it really helped members of the Indy front seven, like ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, time to get healthy. They were all over the Ravens from the first whistle, and they shut down the Baltimore ground game, which put all the pressure on the Ravens’ sophomore pivot Joe Flacco, who was also hobbling with a hip injury. Peyton Manning was 30-of-44 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, and while he got no support from the running game, Super Bowl odds players shouldn’t be worried: the Colts haven’t had a ground attack all season.
US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) have the Colts as a 7.5-point favorite in this contest, and they were probably secretly rooting for the Jets to beat San Diego, so they could avenge their 29-15 loss in Week 16, when the Colts took out their starters with a five-point lead in the third quarter, and the Jets came back to win. The Colts should do what they did last week, which is stack the line against the Jets’ duo of Greene and Thomas Jones, and put the pressure on Sanchez’s rookie shoulders. Manning has dealt with Rex Ryan’s defenses before, when Ryan was with Baltimore, and the Colts’ timing offense is good enough to avoid their blitz schemes. It’s payback time.
NFL betting line pick: Indianapolis -7.5
